Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Scott's Not Bad People is definitely a slow burn, but worth reading. It's long and you don't feel any satisfaction till the last several pages. Themes of shame, friendship, guilt, power, money, gossip run throughout this small town that Center expertly details. Secrets are slowly revealed and you slowly feel angry, lost, and the honestly emanating from the three main characters - Lou, Melinda and Aimee.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this book prior to publication in exchange for my honest review!

Not Bad People is a not bad novel with two parallel storylines: one involves three best friends, Aimee, Melinda and Lou, who are flawed but trying to become better people. The other involves Pete, an amateur pilot whose plane crashes, leaving him blind and in a wheelchair, and his son in a coma. When Aimee hears about the plane crash, she fears that the friends' lantern ceremony may have been the cause.

I like the idea of having two seemingly separate stories and the curiosity you have as a reader in trying to figure out how the two stories intersect. One issue I had though is that there are so many characters, and the story jumps back and forth between them so much, that things get confusing at times. Also, parts of the story are nonsensical in my opinion. It was hard for me (as well as Aimee's friends) to understand how someone might connect lighting paper lanterns to causing a plane crash. Or when Lou's friends are able to get a passport for her, without her knowledge or input. I'm not sure that's really possible.

Not Bad People is amusing enough to make you want to read more and see if Aimee's suspicious are true, I found some of the unrealistic situations and the multitude of characters distracting.